SEND

Welcome to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

at Holy Family Catholic Primary School.

At Holy Family we value each and every one of God’s children.  We are extremely proud of

the success of our children, and we encourage each one to excel within our very caring community; where the standards are high, and our expectations are consistent and clear.

We pride ourselves on the support that we give to all of our children.

For those children who have difficulties in accessing any part of their school life, we employ the Graduated Approach for SEND to enhance our Quality First Provision.

Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator is Miss Samantha Tomlinson.

Miss Tomlinson can be contacted by appointment via the school office.

SEND – Our Intent

The intent of Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) provision at Holy Family Primary School is one of a ‘whole child whole school’ approach, where all pupils with SEND experience success; achieve well and develop as confident individuals.

It is our intention that these pupils will receive a high-quality, stimulating, engaging and ambitious curriculum irrespective of need or disability. We firmly believe in the importance of removing barriers, taking practical steps so that our environment, facilities, curriculum and practises are accessible to all.

We pride ourselves on early identification and intervention for SEND, ensuring that progress is tracked regularly and adjustments made in provision in light of ongoing monitoring.

Our aims include ensuring that the whole community including pupils, parents and staff have a firm belief that all pupils, including those with SEND are capable of achieving and are equipped with the tools needed for this. We want to ensure our SEND children become life-long learners that are creative, curious, and independent both in school and the wider community. We are responsive and think outside the box when it comes to solutions to meet our children with SEND’s needs. The children are given the opportunity to voice their wishes as we work in partnership with our children and of course draw upon the knowledge and expertise of parents and carers in relation to their child.  Furthermore, we work closely with a range of other agencies to ensure a well-thought-out approach is enlisted. We provide an accessible learning environment with reasonable adjustments made to allow all children to access learning including a broad and balanced curriculum that’s differentiated to meet need. Children are supported to reach their full potential despite difficulty or disability. They are provided with opportunities to develop confidence, self-esteem, and resilience with their learning.

Additionally, we offer relevant training for all staff that is of a high quality to ensure consistency with supporting children with SEND as well as regularly reviewing policy and practise to ensure we achieve the best outcomes for all pupils.

At all times we comply with the SEND Code of practice (2014) and Equalities Act (2010) to ensure that we meet the needs of our children. 

SEND – Implementation

The teaching of SEND pupils is a whole-school responsibility. Assessing, planning, and teaching is a continuous cycle that all teachers are involved in. It is during this time that teachers consider the different abilities, aptitudes, and interests of the pupils and who might require increased levels of support and provision.

SEND pupils are included in all school activities and aspects of the school day. Reasonable adjustments will then be made when needed. All stakeholders have high aspirations for children with SEND and their contributions are valued and acknowledged. Children with SEND will be provided with quality first teaching whilst being encouraged to work independently and make progress at their level.

At Holy Family Catholic Primary School we support a Learner with additional needs by employing the Graduated Approach to meeting the needs of children in school.  Each Learner and their parents/guardians are at the centre of this approach and are fully involved at each and every stage with a focus on both well-being and academic achievement.

All children are entitled to Universal Support from their class teacher through high quality / quality first teaching. This includes: high expectations and aspirations for all children, secure subject knowledge, clear presentation of subject matter, promoting discussion, systematic checking of children’s understanding, identifying and addressing misconceptions through clear feedback, adaptation of teaching as necessary, building upon previous learning to enable children to remember long term content, designing learning environments to support learning.

• If a child does not make progress in line with expectations, and further support is required, the class teacher will then refer to the school SENCO for observation and further assessment. Interventions may be suggested with small groups or one-to-one support and the child is monitored for up to a term on the Cause for Concern register. This is Universal Plus Support.
• After this period of time, if a child does not make progress, or has a diagnosed special educational need, the child is placed on the SEND register. They are deemed as requiring provision which is different from and additional to their peers. They may require individualised intervention or support programmes which are recorded on their SEND plans. External agencies may then be called upon to seek further advice and assessment. These agencies will then be involved in at least termly assess >plan>do>review meetings alongside parents/cares and suggest outcomes to meet the child’s needs. This is classed as Targeted Support.
• Finally, if a pupil has a high level of need and it is deemed necessary by all professionals and parents supporting the child, an application for an Education Health Care Plan assessment would be required. This is Specialised Support, which will involve a multi-agency evaluation of the plans and provision through ongoing assess > plan > do > review cycles.

Parents are involved at every stage when deciding the best approach for their child. We encourage parents to share their concerns and signpost them to outside support or information they may need.

Equally we believe that the Learner should be at heart of this process, and at Holy Family Primary School we value the importance of involving each learner in the right to have their views and opinions incorporated into the assessment and review process. All our children with SEND will be involved, wherever possible and appropriate, in review discussions as part of the process and in setting their targets. This may be through their views being brought to be shared at the meeting or by the child’s attendance.

Holy Family Catholic Primary School can call upon the external expertise of a plethora of agencies, including:

* Educational Psychologist (for assessments of children with cognition and learning difficulties or to assess a child who may need specialist support with an Education Health Care assessment)

* School nursing service (for referrals to the Continence Team, a medical report for a General Development Assessment, vaccination programmes or any other medical need for a child)

* ASCETS (to support with observations, advice about provision and suggesting appropriate outcomes for children who display or are on the ASD spectrum)

*General Development Assessment Team (for referrals to community paediatrics for children who present as having ASD or ADHD tendencies, or may need the support of CAMHS)

* Speech & Language Team (who will offer Specialist and Targeted support for children who have difficulties with communication, speech and language)

* Occupational Therapy (for children who have difficulties with fine or gross motor skills, and sensory difficulties)

* CAMHS / With Me in Mind (for children with mental health)

* Physiotherapy (for children who require specialist support for physical difficulties)

* SEND Team (to oversee the APDR process and involved in EHC applications and reviews)

* Early Help (who work with a holistically with the whole family and bring in external agencies to support as necessary)

*PAFSS (Parenting and Family Support Service)

*SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support)

* Voluntary Organisations such as the Trusted Mentor scheme, EPIC

When deploying our resources to meet the needs of children with SEND, Holy Family Catholic Primary School Provision Maps identify groups of children for specific interventions. Children identified with SEND will have a Support Plan where the class teacher will discuss with parents the child’s difficulties and set SMART targets. The child will then receive regular plan> do> review meetings at least termly with the teacher, parent, SENCO and if necessary, relevant external agency professionals to aid with more detailed outcomes and provision and resource allocation. The SENCO will discuss with the Educational Psychologist any child who requires their involvement at planning meetings with consent from the parent.

It is during such meetings that resources may be allocated to meet the needs of a child. Holy Family operates the Graduated Approach system for allocating resources: Universal (all children led under the direction of the class teacher), Universal Support (time-limited intervention programmes led by trained members of staff), Targeted Support (provision that is different from and additional to peers). Where the provision on the child’s provision map goes above the notional element 2 funding, an application for Additional Top-Up Funding or Early Intervention Allowance may be submitted to the Local Authority to apply for Element 3 funding. If more specialist support is required to support the child’s needs in school, an application for an EHC assessment will be made by the SENCO in conjunction with the external professionals and parents / carers involved with supporting the child. If approved, the LA will be responsible for the allocation of the Element 3 funding.

Children identified as having SEND are, as far as practicably possible, fully immersed into mainstream classes. Every effort is made to ensure they have full and equal access to the National Curriculum and that they are integrated into all aspects of school life including trips, residentials and after school activities/ clubs etc. Peer and adult support may be employed to boost confidence, self-esteem and create an active learning environment.  The SEND Code of Practice makes it very clear that ALL teachers are teachers of child with additional needs. Where necessary, we will ensure that any child who requires ‘reasonable adjustments’ to be made which will enable them to access every part of school life, we will do so. This includes adaptations made to the physical environment as well as to the curriculum.

Holy Family Catholic Primary School holds an excellent relationship with its feeder secondary schools. Children with SEND are discussed at length in the annual review meetings prior to going into Year 6, the secondary school will then attend the child’s transition meetings. Each child is discussed at length with the school’s Inclusion team. The SENCO is also the Transition Champion who co-ordinates the successful transition for all Year 6 children, working with the Doncaster Transition Team.

SEND – Impact

Our children with SEND feel safe, valued and happy and are supported in achieving what they are most capable and deserving of.  Differences and diversities are celebrated and acknowledged positively.  Children are engaged in their learning and show good progress based on their starting points and continue to make progress no matter what form this takes.

Local Offer 

Doncaster Local Authority Local Offer for SEND

The Local Offer provides information for children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEND) and their parents and carers in a single place. It shows families what they can expect from a range of local agencies, including education, health and social care. Knowing what is out there gives families more choice and therefore more control over what support is right for their children.

Holy Family Catholic Primary School contribution to the Local Offer.

All settings must co-operate with the LA in the development and review of the Local Offer as set out in chapter 4 of the SEND Code of Practice (January 2015) and the associated Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 (Part 4). Below is the link to Holy Family's contribution to the Local Offer.

SEND Documents

To view our SEND Policy and Accessibility Plan, please click here